1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a can or similar container construcion, and more particularly to a can closure construcion that includes a thin-film sealing intermediate partition detachably mounted over the open top of the can body and carrying a semi-circular score or cut lines defining a dispensing opening area and a finger grip secured thereto that allows the defined opening area of the partition to be detached apart from the can body by simply pulling it up with a finger.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A can or similar container construction of the kind including a detachable thin-foil partition at the open top carrying score or cut lines along which the partition is to be detached by pulling up a finger grip which is also secured to the partition is already known, and is actually used for containing powdered milk, for example.
The conventional can is usually equipped with a removable top cover or lid, and when it is desired to open the can, the top cover is first removed, and then the thin-foil partition is detached along the score lines. This is usually accomplished by pulling the finger grip up in an attempt to force the dispensing opening area of the partition to be detached apart from the can body along the score lines. After removal of the dispensing opening area defined by the score lines, an opening is left in the top of the can body, which is configured to conform to the dispensing opening area as detached. Through the opening, the contents can be taken out of the can. For subsequent reuse of the can, the top cover is recapped and removed.
The partition used with the above prior-art can construction is usually made of a transparent or nontransparent thin synthetic resin film or metal foil. It carries a finger grip, which is firmly secured to the surface of the partition material by employing a welding or bonding method. As an alternative, a rivetting or caulking method is employed, or a bulged portion is integrally formed on the surface of the partition itself. In this alternative method, the rivet or bulged portion provides a means of securing the finger grip to the partition. It should be noted, however, that in all cases the film or foil material is inherently thin, and provides a relatively less rigidity. For this reason, it has been observed that securing the finger grip to the film or foil forming the partition is so unreliable that any attempt to raise the finger grip to detach the partition is likely to cause the finger grip physically to be detached from the film base. This means that the finger grip would lose the ability to detach the partition apart from the can body, resulting in the need of using an alternative detaching means. Then, the scraping function intended by the present invention could not be provided.